


The Ink That Binds Us

by RaySimp



Series: Raye Requests [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gen, Tattoos, or tryinig to be anyway, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 17:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18997423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaySimp/pseuds/RaySimp
Summary: A request from my tumblr“Can I get a Batman one shot of dick Grayson getting piercings and/tattoos and the Batfam (except Alfred) notice months later“





	The Ink That Binds Us

**Author's Note:**

> This isn’t beta read, but someone on Discord said it was good, so here we are (Bruce’s stuff is inspired by Professor Pyg-Wing on Discord). Also I added pictures of Dick’s tats on my tumblr version of this story, in case I didn’t describe them good enough.

Dick was in the medical bay with the top half of his suit pooling around his waist as Alfred checks Dick’s ribs for any fractures and Bruce is sitting by the Batcomputer when he notices smudges through the reflection. “Dick, what are those?” Bruce asks incredulously, pointing at the ink on his eldest son’ s side.

Dick looks at Bruce quizzically and says, “Um… tattoos? I got them after getting out of Spyral, Bruce. All of them are in my chart.”

Bruce was flabbergasted at the news; did he really not notice this for nearly _six months_? Granted Dick has been at the Titans Tower for a month with Tim to mend their relationship, then he took Damian to Bludhaven for a few weeks to understand everything that Damian has done, then Jason snagged Dick for a couple of days for a case. This was the second month he is in Gotham and the days were spent with Barbara, Cass, Duke, and Stephanie, Bruce couldn’t remember the last time they had an actual conversation outside of mission debriefings.

Well, that couldn’t stand.

“Bruce? You doing okay?” Dick asks hesitantly.

Shaking his head, Bruce stands up and walks to Dick. “I’m doing fine. I guess I haven’t checked your chart since you gotten back from there,” he says, and points to the few inked areas on Dick’s ribs, “What are they for?”

Dick breaks out into a smile, causing Bruce to sigh in relief, and begins to point to the black outline bat that is sitting on Dick’s first rib, “Well, this one is you,” then to a black bird with blue wings under the bat to the right, “this is me,” the green-colored bat under the bat to the right, “that is Barbara,” a red-winged bird right under the bat, “Jason,” a bird with wings that fade from yellow to red under Jason’s bird, “Timmy,” yellow colored in bat under the green one, “Cass,” a purple bat next to Cass’s, “Steph,” a bird with green wings, “Damian,” a yellow-winged bird next to the green one, “Duke,” then to the lone owl that is place almost on his back, “finally, this one is Alfred,” Dick finishes with a fond sigh.

Bruce, processing everything, begins to speak, “If your suit tears or…”

Dick frowns, begins to get off the bed, and bits out, “I wrap them every night, and take all precautions I do when I head to walk the beat. I know what I’m doing, Bruce, I’m not going to expose our identities.”

“I know you aren’t, Dick. That’s not what I’m worried about,” Bruce stumbles through his thoughts as Dick begins to walk into the showers.

Dick turns around and cocks his eyebrow, “Then what?”

“I’m just worried about your suit aggravating the area, Dick. Tattoos can be kind of tricky to take care of.”

Dick lets out a small smile and explains, “I know, Bruce. I have had the first one for about five months, the newest one is a few weeks old.”

“A few weeks?”

“I let everyone choose their own colors, well, almost everyone,” Dick says, the shrugs his shoulders, “I didn’t know if you wanted to or not so I just left it with an outline. I was going to get a set of trapeze next, figure I should get all the members of my family.”

Bruce could feel his heart pick up just a bit at Dick’s nonchalant declaration that Bruce is a part of Dick’s family. “I think, if its okay with you, I would like to go with you next time, Dick. There is something I have been thinking about getting for a couple years now” Bruce requests.

Dick’s eyes widen slightly then nods, “I—Sure, Bruce. That would be great. What were you thinking?”

“It’s a surprise.”

 

* * *

 

A few days later everyone was at the BatCave finishing up a family meeting before heading out to patrol. Bruce had these meeting once a month, when possible to keep everyone on the same page and if someone needs help or to leave their post for an extended time someone else could cover their city/district. At this point everyone was just munching on Alfred’s cookies, drinking their beverage of choice, and talking amongst themselves when Bruce got up, his tank top bulging around bandages on his ribs.

“Father, when did you get injured?” Damian asks, “I do not recall any recent encounters with anyone that got that close.” This causes everyone to quiet down and look at Bruce, gauging whether it was serious or not. But Dick looks like the cat that ate the canary and Bruce’s heart melts just a bit at the boyish upturn on his eldest. He hasn’t seen that smile in a long time.

Bruce turns towards his children, seeing their worried faces, and quickly tries to calm them, “I’m not injured; it’s a tattoo, well a couple, actually.”

Tim jumps out of his chair, sending it to the floor. “You got a tattoo, too?”, he asks incredulously. When Bruce nods his head, Tim glances around the table, before inquiring, “What is it?”

Bruce looks around the room, lifts his shirt, and slowly peels the bandage away, on the slightly redden skin of his ribs is a black bird with blue, red, yellow, and green feathers, underneath it was the date that Dick was declared Bruce’s ward, a dash, and an infinity symbol. Next to it was a black bat with green wings, a yellow head, and a purple torso with the date of Barbara joining Bruce on his crime crusade with a dash and an infinity symbol.

After a minute Bruce replaces the bandage and drops his shirt, then speaks, “Dick and I both have tattoos now, and we have updated our medical records both here and on the Watchtower.”

Then he turns towards the locker rooms and announces, “Patrol time. Get geared up. Damian and I will be taking the docks, Stephanie and Cass will look for Puppeteer at the old theatre. Jason and Tim will cover Bludhaven, and Barbara will be patrolling the Upper District. Dick, you are on monitor duty, you still need to heal up from your last mission with the Titans.”

“Father!” Damian loudly calls out, beginning to run after Bruce along with his other children. Well, except Dick and Alfred, who has a soft smile gracing their faces.

**Author's Note:**

> This was so much fun!!! If anyone has an idea (or headcanon) that they want to send my way, I'm up for it!
> 
> My tumblrs are @rayesimp and @rayewriting. Please come talk to me about anything!!


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